{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/pingree-welcomes-news-agreement-remove-saccarappa-falls-dam-westbrook", "Pingree welcomes news of agreement to remove Saccarappa Falls Dam in Westbrook", "2016-11-16", "2016", "2016-11", "Democrat", "House", "ME", "Chellie Pingree", "P000597", "pingree.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Pooling alewives on a tributary of the Presumpscot River.\nCongresswoman Chellie Pingree welcomes news today that Sappi North America, the City of Westbrook, local organizations, the U.S. Department of the Interior, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service have reached an agreement to remove the Saccarappa Falls Dam in Westbrook as early as 2020.\u00a0\n\u201cWe\u2019ve seen the incredible results that dam removal and fish passage have brought to the Penobscot River in recent years, and I\u2019m glad we\u2019ll now be able to see this in Southern Maine as well,\u201d Pingree said. \u201cThe removal of this dam will reopen miles of waterways to sea-run fish like alewife\u2014an important source of bait for lobstermen and a critical contributor to the overall health of the Gulf of Maine.\u201d\n\u201cThe renaissance of this once highly polluted river has driven robust economic development in Westbrook and other communities in recent years. \u00a0This project will keep that momentum going,\u201d Pingree continued. \u00a0\u201cI applaud Sappi and all the other project partners for reaching this historic agreement\u2014it\u2019s a testament to how we can work together to support both Maine industries and our natural resources.\u201d\nAccording to a joint release by the partners earlier today, Sappi has agreed to remove the dam, including two spillways, as well as fund fish passage facilities for river herring, American shad and Atlantic salmon at Saccarappa Falls. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has agreed to modify the agency\u2019s fish passage requirements at the next four upstream hydroelectric projects (Mallison Falls, Little Falls, Gambo and Dundee) owned by Sappi. Further, Sappi and the City of Westbrook intend to negotiate terms and conditions for the transfer of certain parcels to the city related to the riverwalk along the Presumpscot River.\u00a0\nSappi\u2019s Board of Directors and the Westbrook City Council must still ratify the agreement.\u00a0\nPingree is a member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior and the Environment, which oversees funding for the Department of the Interior and the Fish and Wildlife Service. \u00a0Earlier this year, Pingree\u2019s office helped convene a meeting with federal agencies to ensure the voices of local organizations were heard.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/pingree-welcomes-news-agreement-remove-saccarappa-falls-dam-westbrook"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.9222279768437147, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}